SIM:A Rogue Amongst the Stars/Chapter 5
 A Rogue Amongst the Stars |
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Chapter 5
((Pirate Raider, somewhere in the Shoals))
Once back aboard Douglas and Li’s raider, the captured Starfleet officers soon found themselves meeting yet another pirate. And unlike the previous two, this one was far less impressed by the name Silas Finley.
Crawford: So you’re the new kid everyone’s talking about, eh? I figured you’d be taller.
Teller: Impudence. I wonder how much you’ll have after your tongue is nailed to the wall of my cabin.
Crawford was the first mate for Captain Yolanda Madrid. And also her lover. There was only one pirate captain he feared in his life, and it certainly wasn’t some short ginger.
The tall, stocky man took a step closer to stand right in Finley’s face.
Crawford: You certainly have a lot of talk for a man who’s unarmed and… from where I stand, all alone out here.
Kinan:::sarcastically:: Yes, because he was totally alone on that yacht. Not another soul on board.
Evidently, the ex-diplomatic officer had taken the negotiation book and thrown it out an airlock, so far out of her league and lacking much-needed context behind this particular discussion that she’d determined that adding in her own lead-laced sarcasm was the only way she’d be provided with said context.
Crawford: You always let your women speak out of line like that?
Kinan: I beg your pardon-
Roshanara gently but insistently took hold of Kinan’s arm, keeping her from walking forward towards the man.
Teller stepped forward and put himself within an inch of the pirate without breaking his gaze. He had to make this work and he was bluffing with all their lives.
Teller: She has my indulgence to speak. You do not. Consider, carefully, what you do next, or I promise… you’ll die screaming.
It took Kinan every ounce of her being not to sigh and rub her eyes at the statement, instead opting for a mild “how did I end up here?” expression.
Li looked from Crawford to Captain Finley and back again. This was the last thing they needed. Madrid was a fine pirate captain, but they couldn’t afford to get into a turf war with another crew. Not after everything that’d been going on in the wake of that madman Lenik’s campaign of terror in the region, which had stepped up the Marshals and Starfleet’s anti-piracy efforts.
Li: Boss, maybe there’s something we could work out?
Crawford sneered at the groveling pirate next to him before whacking him on the side of the head with his disrupter.
Crawford: I should just shoot you right here, Li, and save the Cap’n the trouble.
He turned back to Finley.
Crawford: ‘Cause you see, she’s going to be mighty pissed that instead of robbing a bunch of rich asshole tourists, we found you instead. So unless you’ve got something you can offer *my* captain, it’s not my tongue being cut out that you should worry about… *captain.*
Crawford turned to the other pirate.
Crawford: Douglas, why don’t you escort our esteemed “guests” to Li’s quarters for our trip back. Li, you can sleep on the deck out here tonight.
He looked back at Finley and smiled.
Crawford: It’s probably not as opulent as you’re used to, so forgive me. ::He glanced over at the two Trill women behind him.:: Unless of course you ladies would like to spend the night on a proper bed.
Rahman: ::mumbles:: Yeah, we’re good, thanks...
As the three passengers began moving to the back of the raider, Teller addressed Crawford one last time.
Teller: You’re not as stupid as you look. You might live through this.
Continue to Chapter 6